Treatment for cocaine: where to start

At your first appointment you will be asked lots of questions about your health and drug use. This is so a tailored treatment plan can be put together for you.

You'll be given a key worker who will support you throughout your treatment plan.

Which treatments work for cocaine addiction?

Treatments that are known to be effective for cocaine addiction include:

Talking therapies – therapies like cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) help you to understand your addiction and to change your thoughts and behaviour. This will either be as part of a group or one to one with a specialist drugs counsellor or therapist.

Couples therapy – you may be offered this if you have a partner who does not use cocaine

Incentives – you may be offered rewards, such as vouchers, for sticking with your treatment and for staying off cocaine when it finishes.

Unlike treatment for heroin, there are no medicines that work as substitutes for powder cocaine, crack cocaine and other stimulants.

However, you may be offered medication to help with related symptoms, such as sleep problems.

If you're addicted to alcohol as well as cocaine, you may be prescribed Antabuse (disulfiram).